


A Very Merry Chance Meeting

by Sundance201



Series: Cheesy Holiday Romance [1]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Cheesy Holiday Romance, F/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:02:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27901177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sundance201/pseuds/Sundance201
Summary: On the flight out to spend Christmas with her sister, Lexie Grey ends up sitting next to the most beautiful man she's ever met. And he just happens to be Mark Sloan, her brother-in-law's best friend, and the other guest at the Grey-Shepherd house this Christmas. Is there a Christmas romance in the air?
Relationships: Lexie Grey/Mark Sloan, Meredith Grey/Derek Shepherd
Series: Cheesy Holiday Romance [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2088519
Comments: 9
Kudos: 69





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am slightly obsessed with cheesy holiday romance movies and once I started thinking about what sort of shenanigans Mark and Lexie could get into in a cheesy holiday romance...I couldn't help myself. Hope that you enjoy! Happy holidays!

Lexie sighed as she finally got her bag in the overhead department and slid into her seat. It was a bit of a madhouse trying to get to the airport on time from Lizzy's apartment, but she made it. And now all she had to do was attempt to relax and get through the next six hours on the plane. She pulled out her phone to text Lizzy one last time when she noticed someone standing next to her and reaching up to stow their bag. She glanced up and was struck speechless.

The most beautiful man she'd ever seen was standing next to her, smiling down at her. "I'm your traveling companion today," he said with a grin that Lexie was positive got this man whatever he wanted.

"Oh! Great!" She stood quickly, too quickly, and he wasn't quite expecting her to move so fast. She bumped into him before he had a chance to step back and he caught her shoulders in an attempt to balance himself. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry."

"I'm used to beautiful women throwing themselves at me," he said with a wink, before moving into the window seat.

Lexie rolled her eyes, scoffing as she sat back down. "Yeah I'm sure with those blue eyes and that smile, women just can't help themselves."

"They can't! I'm irresistible."

"And humble." He chuckled and nodded as Lexie grinned at him. "So, do you have a name, Mr. Irresistible? If we're going to be seat buddies for the next six hours, I think I should know your name."

"Mark Sloan."

He stuck out his hand and Lexie took it immediately, shaking it firmly. "Lexie Grey."

"It's sure to be a pleasure flying the friendly skies with you, Lexie."

Lexie laughed. "You certainly are a charmer, aren't you, Mark?"

He held up his hands. "Guilty as charged."

"What do you do for a living? Actor? Lawyer? Male underwear model?" Lexie asked, a sparkle in her eye.

Mark laughed and shook his head. "Thanks for that last one. None of the above. I'm a doctor."

Lexie raised a skeptical eyebrow. "A doctor, huh? Of what?" She couldn't count how many times a guy had tried to pull the doctor card on her, only to have a doctorate in philosophy. Although Mark Sloan did not look like any philosopher she'd ever met.

"Double board-certified surgeon in plastics and otolaryngology." That shit-eating grin was back.

Lexie's jaw dropped. "Oh wow, you really are a doctor." Suddenly her eyes went a bit unfocused and then widened. She practically squealed and grabbed his arm that was resting on the seat rest between them. "Wait a minute! Dr. Mark Sloan! New York Pres! You did that almost full facial transplant a few years ago! 22 hours! 3 years of planning! The nerve work alone…oh my god!"

It was Mark's turn to be surprised. "You some sort of surgery groupie there, Lexie?"

She laughed. "Something like that. I'm a surgeon too. Fifth year resident at Mass Gen."

Mark let out a low whistle. "Mass Gen? You must be pretty good."

Lexie smirked, tilting her head playfully. "I am."

"If you're a resident at Mass Gen, how come you were in New York? And now you're on a fight to Seattle?"

"I was here visiting my old college roommate. She's an actress and she was in an off-off-off Broadway play. And now I'm on my way to Seattle to see my sister. I'm spending Christmas with her. What about you? What's dragging you away from Manhattan?"

"My best friend guilted me into visiting him. Said he couldn't stand the thought of me spending Christmas alone again and insisted that I come out and visit him and his wife and their kids."

Lexie smiled. "Everyone should have someone to guilt them into not spending the holidays alone," she teased. "How long are you going to be in Seattle?"

"Just until the day after Christmas. You?"

"Same. But I don't have a shift until the 28th, so that's nice. I'll have a few days back in Boston to run errands and stuff. And just decompress from spending the holidays with my little niece and nephew. They're adorable, but my niece has so much energy. Luckily my nephew is just a snuggly little baby still, but…still a lot."

"Sounds like my friend's kids. I feel like every time I talk to him, he's being interrupted by one of the kids. His wife sent me a picture of him the other day having a tea party with his daughter." Mark chuckled. "He has four sisters, so I think he's pretty used to it."

"Four sisters! Wow. That must have been…a very loud house."

Mark laughed. "Oh, it was. But it was the best. I used to go over there as often as possible. I grew up with Derek and his family…they're basically my family."

Lexie smiled. "That's really sweet. I bet that he's really excited that you're coming out to visit."

He nodded. "Yeah, I think he is. And I wouldn't tell him, but I'm glad he asked me. The plastic surgeon, bachelor lifestyle is extravagant, but it can get tiresome sometimes."

Lexie rolled her eyes and Mark grinned at her. "Oh, you poor thing. I'm sure that the Manhattan social scene is just exhausting for you."

Mark's grin turned to a smirk. "You have no idea."

Lexie laughed and shook her head. "How long have you been a slave to the Manhattan social scene, Mark?"

He shrugged, spreading his hands slightly and leaning back, as best as he could, in his seat. "All my life. Born and bred New Yorker."

"Oh wow, really? I love Manhattan, but I don't know if I could actually live there. I grew up in a suburb right outside of Seattle. I always thought Seattle was a big city, until I went to Manhattan for the first time."

Mark grinned. "It's the best city in the world."

They spent the next six hours chatting, the conversation never running dry. Lexie picked his brain about all sorts of surgeries and before his ego got too out of control, she confessed that she had a photographic memory, so she remembered basically everything she'd ever read. She'd had an interest in plastics before really committing to neuro, so she had read quite a bit about some of his surgeries. And then after he learned about her photographic memory, he spent time quizzing her on things, determined to see if her skill had a limit.

He still hadn't discovered one by the time that they landed. Lexie sighed and smiled, leaning back in her seat slightly. Mark quirked an eyebrow at her and Lexie turned her head towards him, grinning. "I actually hate flying. I usually get so nervous…" Her smiled brightened as she looked at him. "So thank you. You distracted me enough that I didn't even once picture my horrible death as the plane went down in a ball of flames."

Mark's brow furrowed and he tilted his head in concern. "That's…intense."

Lexie shrugged. "You should have picked up on that fact some time in the last six hours."

* * *

They made their way out into the terminal and waited around for their bags. Mark grabbed both his and Lexie's from the carousel and they smiled at each other.

"Well," Lexie said, awkwardly tucking her hair behind her ears. "Thanks for keeping me entertained throughout the flight. Although, I was planning on getting some sleep." She laughed. "I survived my intern year and everything but when they say that New York is the city that never sleeps, they mean it!"

Mark chuckled. "Sorry. Or you're welcome?" He paused, before smiling at her. "What direction is your sister's place? We could…share a cab, if you wanted to. With Christmas shopping and just having a trip to New York on a resident's salary…I'm sure you could save some money if we're heading in the same direction."

Lexie immediately beamed at him. "Yeah! Yeah, I'd love to. She lives north of here."

"Great! So does Derek. We can just split the cab fare."

Lexie nodded. "That sounds great!"

They walked outside to the cab lane and waited patiently with all the other weary travelers, although they looked far more energetic than anyone around them as they kept talking and smiling at each other. When they got to the front of the line, the cabbie grabbed their bags and Mark and Lexie slid into the back of the cab.

"So where am I dropping you two off?"

"Two different locations, but they should be on the way," Mark said, digging around in his pocket for the slip of paper where he'd written down Derek's address.

Lexie had done the same thing and handed over her paper. Mark finally found his and let out a soft sound of triumph before handing it over to the cabbie.

He spent a bit longer than either of them expected staring at the pieces of paper. "Are they further away than we thought?" Lexie asked, regretting that they hadn't actually compared addresses before grabbing a cab together. She was just hadn't been ready to say goodbye to Mark yet.

"This is some sort of joke, right?" the cabbie questioned.

Lexie and Mark looked at each other, confused. "What do you mean?"

"It's the same address. I'm taking both of you to the same place."

Lexie shook her head and turned to Mark again. "Your best friend's name is Derek. He's not…Derek Shepherd, chief of Neuro at Seattle Grace Mercy West, is he?"

Mark chuckled. "That's exactly who he is. And your sister Meredith – she's Meredith Grey?"

"Got it in one!" Lexie laughed. She turned to the cabbie and shrugged. "Yep, guess you're taking us to the same place!"

He shrugged and started the car, heading off towards the woods and the Grey-Shepherd dream house.

Mark shook his head and chuckled, looking over at Lexie. "So does that make you Ellis Grey's daughter?"

"Oh no, I wish! Well…except I don't, because for all intents and purposes, Mer's mom was an absolutely terrible mom, but oh man, do I wish that I had her genes. Mer is such a gifted surgeon. I mean, I'm good but she's…it's in her blood. My dad is her dad. We spent summers together growing up for a little bit…she's seven years older than I am, so she made herself pretty scarce once she got to college, but I still saw her sometimes. And then we ended up going to med school around the same time, so we reconnected." Lexie smiled softly, looking down. "I really miss her. I haven't seen her in about six months."

"So that's why you're thinking about moving back?"

Lexie nodded. "Yeah. That and the fact that I basically have a locked-in fellowship with Derek who's like…the best. I mean, you know."

Mark chuckled. "I do. Perfect Derek Shepherd. Love the guy, but it's a pain in the ass being friends with someone who's so perfect."

Lexie leaned towards him, putting her hand on his arm. "It's not like you're chopped liver over here, Mark. I mean…you're the go-to plastics guy on the East Coast. That's why I couldn't stop asking you questions on the plane – you've been at the forefront of so many procedures! It's incredible. You're incredible."

"Incredible?" he said, a wicked glimmer in his eyes.

Lexie's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed before she shook her head and laughed. She took her hand away from his arm and looked down at it briefly before looking back up at him. "Yeah. Incredible. But don't let it inflate that ego of yours any more than it already has."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that you're enjoying the story! I love to hear what you guys think. :) The next chapter will be posted some time this weekend.

The cab dropped them off and Mark grabbed both of their bags before Lexie could protest. She was playfully trying to take her bag back from him as they walked up the drive to the front door. Mark rang the doorbell while playfully swatting at Lexie, keeping her away from her bag. "You really don't have to be such a gentleman, Mark! I can carry my own bag!" She reached across him for one last attempt to grab her bag.

Derek opened the door and his face immediately clouded with confusion as he looked back and forth between the two of them. Lexie's arm dropped and she smiled up at Derek. He smiled at both of them, still looking a little confused. "Lexie! Mark! Do you two…know each other?"

Lexie shrugged and Mark chuckled. "We do now. We just spent six hours on the plane together! And we shared a cab," Mark replied.

Derek's brow furrowed as he opened the door wider and stepped to the side, letting them in. Lexie practically launched herself at her brother-in-law. "I've missed you! It's so good to see you! It feels good to be back in Seattle."

"Well, we can't wait until you pass your boards so you can be back here on a more permanent basis," Derek teased, and Lexie grinned at him. He then turned to Mark and they embraced briefly, thumping each other on the back. Lexie grinned at the typically macho display of affection. "What about you, Mark? Think you'd ever move here?"

Mark shrugged. "That rain is killer, man."

"Oh, but it's so great when the rain stops, and everything feels so refreshed and renewed. There's nothing like it," Lexie was quick to protest and Derek watched with interest as his sister-in-law and his best friend smiled sweetly at each other.

Derek cleared his throat and both of his guests' attention snapped back to him. "Meredith is picking up the kids from daycare. They had a party today – I stopped in for a little bit in the morning after my surgery and then she caught the last bit. They should be here any minute."

Derek showed them both to their rooms so that they could relax and unpack a bit before Meredith and the kids got home. Lexie took advantage of the moment alone and freshened up, before laying down. She sighed and then laughed slightly to herself, rubbing at her face. Spending the holidays with her family and the most beautiful man she'd ever met. Great. Absolutely nothing to worry about.

* * *

Mark and Derek were sitting at the island, sipping at coffee and catching up. There was a lull in conversation and Derek examined his best friend, who somehow seemed lighter than he had in quite a few years. "So…you and Lexie?" he asked, his eyebrow raised curiously.

Mark took a sip of his coffee and pulled an all-too-innocent face. "We were sitting next to each other. Like I'm not going to talk to a beautiful woman when I'm sitting next to her for six hours?"

Derek gave Mark a knowing look and shook his head. "I'm just saying…no sneaking into her room tonight. We have children in this house."

Mark laughed. "I have some self-control, Derek."

"Mhm…sure you do, Mark."

Mark was about to reply when they heard the garage door go up, and a few minutes later, the door into the house flung open. Mark grinned as he heard the pitter-patter of Zola's little feet running into the house. "Is that my little butterfly?" he called out, just as Zola rounded the corner.

Mark stood and then crouched down, holding out his arms. "Uncle Mark! Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!" Zola exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Mark's neck. He chuckled and swung her up into his arms, pressing a kiss against her cheek.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Zo. I'm so happy to see you!"

Meredith followed her daughter in, carrying Zola's little backpack in one hand and Bailey in the other. "Mark! You're here!" She walked over to him and kissed his cheek briefly, before setting Zola's backpack down. She turned to Derek and gave him a quick kiss. "Did Lexie get in too?"

Derek nodded, taking the baby from her. "She did. They were on the same plane. Seated together. For six hours."

Meredith's eyes narrowed. "Mark, please tell me you did not hit on my sister."

Mark chuckled. "Well, Mer, I could tell you that, but it would be a lie."

Everyone heard footsteps on the stairs and Zola's head swung around, a grin appearing on her face when she saw her aunt. "Aunt Lex-Lex!" she squealed.

"ZoZo!" Lexie exclaimed, making a beeline for her niece. She lifted Zola out of Mark's arms with a soft smile that Mark eagerly returned. Her attention turned back to Zola and she smiled brightly at the little girl. "You've gotten so big! How old are you now?"

"Two and half, silly Lex-Lex."

Lexie grinned and booped her niece's nose. "Two and a half! I knew that! I was here for your birthday party. Silly me." She looked up at Meredith. "Hi Mer! I've missed you!" Meredith came over and wrapped her arm around Lexie's shoulders in a half hug, since Lexie's arms were full. "It's so good to see you. Thank you for having me. It's been good to get out of Boston for a little bit."

"And make new friends?" Meredith murmured, raising an eyebrow and shooting a look at Mark, who was chatting with Derek and playing with Bailey.

Lexie laughed and shook her head. "Yes, and make new friends. Mark is…very charming."

"Mhm…he sure is." Meredith gave her a knowing look and Lexie laughed, shaking her head. "What do you feel like for dinner? We can order something for delivery and just stay in tonight, if you want."

"That sounds perfect!"

Meredith looked over to Mark and Derek. "Sound good to you, boys?"

Both Mark and Derek nodded, and it didn't escape Meredith's notice that Mark's gaze seemed to linger on Lexie. She shot Derek a knowing look and he smiled and shrugged slightly.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: Some more holiday cheer with our faves! Thanks so much for your kind comments on this one.

* * *

Lexie woke up the next morning to a small finger poking at her arm. She pried her eyes open and was met with her niece staring at her.

"Hungry," Zola said, in lieu of a morning greeting.

"You're hungry, ZoZo?" Lexie asked, yawning and rubbing at her eyes. When she looked at her niece again, she was nodding vigorously. "Let's go get you some breakfast then." She got out of bed and lifted Zola up. "Bet your parents locked their bedroom door so you couldn't get in, didn't they?" she murmured to herself as she unlocked the baby gate at the top of the stairs, making her way down to the main floor.

She could hear someone in the kitchen and just assumed it was Derek, until she turned the corner and saw Mark at the stove. "Oh! Good morning!" she exclaimed, automatically lifting a hand to smooth out her bedhead.

Somehow, he already looked perfect. He was dressed in a long-sleeved black t-shirt and a pair of jeans and she was still in her red snowflake pajamas, carrying around her two-and-a-half-year-old niece. Perfect, Lexie thought to herself. This is what the next few days were going to look like.

"Morning, Lexie! Morning, Zo!"

"Uncle Mark! Make pancakes?" Zola clapped her hands in excitement and Lexie laughed as she moved closer to Mark. She set Zola down on the island, keeping a hand at her back to keep her in place. Zola twisted around to look at Mark.

"That's right, sweetheart. I'm making pancakes!"

Lexie grinned as Mark looked up and winked at her. "I helped Derek set up the kitchen when they moved in. Things haven't changed too much since then," Mark said.

"Nice! Can I do anything to help?"

"Want to get some coffee started? I'm sure they'll be down here once they can smell that."

Lexie nodded and picked up Zola again so she could settle her in her high-chair, and then went over to the coffee maker. She stared blankly at it for a moment. "There are so many buttons," she murmured, dumbfounded. She knew where they kept the coffee but could barely figure out which one of the buttons was the power button.

Mark chuckled and reached over to press a button at the top right of the machine. "Haven't you visited them before?" he asked.

Lexie huffed, reaching into the nearby cabinet for the coffee grounds and she started to go through the familiar motions to make a pot of coffee. "Of course, I have! I've been out here three times since they moved. I guess Derek or Meredith has always been the one to make me coffee, I've never done it myself."

"Need any more help over there, Little Grey?" Mark teased as he flipped one of the pancakes.

Lexie laughed and shook her head, pressing the "brew" button. "Little Grey?"

"Mhm. Decided you're Little Grey and Mer's Big Grey. Cute, don't you think?"

"Adorable," she replied, her eyes sparkling as Mark grinned back at her.

"Aw, Mark, you didn't have to make breakfast!" Meredith said, coming downstairs, carrying Bailey and followed closely by Derek. Lexie jumped back from Mark, even though they hadn't been doing anything inappropriate and made her way around the island, heading back to Zola.

"Thought it was the least I could do, Meredith. Nothing fancy. Just some pancakes."

"Pancakes!" Zola repeated, grinning happily.

"Well, either way, it's appreciated," Meredith said. She glanced over at Lexie. "Cute jammies, Lex," she teased.

Lexie sighed. Meredith and Derek were already dressed too. "I am on vacation here, people. Cut me some slack!" She eyed her sister and brother-in-law's outfits. "You guys have to go to work?"

Derek nodded. "Yeah, but we both got Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off. We're having that big party on Christmas Eve, remember?"

Lexie nodded. "Right! Right. The party." She chewed on her bottom lip briefly. "Did you guys invite Jackson?"

Meredith's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, we did. Is that ok? I didn't think to ask you…I mean, it's been so long. You're over him, right?"

Nodding again and occupying herself with her niece and definitely NOT noticing the fact that Mark seemed very interested in the topic of conversation all of the sudden, Lexie replied, "Yeah, of course. Of course, I am. We're all friends. I just…want to be prepared, you know?"

"What do you have planned for the day, Mark?" Derek asked, and the other man glanced over at him before flipping a pancake onto the plate nearby.

Lexie sighed with relief that the attention was off of her.

"Was thinking I'd do some last-minute shopping," Mark replied. "Do some sight-seeing."

"Lexie's a great tour guide," Meredith said, smiling sweetly at Mark and not belaying the fact that Lexie had kicked her underneath the table. "She knows all the best spots in town still, I'm sure. Don't you, Lex?"

"Meredith and I are driving in together with the kids; you guys can take the Jeep for the day!" Derek said.

Mark grinned over at Lexie, who blushed and tucked her hair behind her ears. "I think that sounds like a great idea, as long as Lexie's up for it."

She nodded immediately, smiling just a bit too brightly. "Yeah! Of course! I need to get some gifts too, so that works out perfectly!"

They all ate breakfast together before Meredith and Derek had to get the kids loaded into the car and headed into the hospital. As Meredith was saying goodbye to Lexie, she whispered, "Have fun today. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Lexie laughed. "That really doesn't rule out much, Mer," she teased, before kissing Bailey on the head and smiling at her sister.

Once they left, Lexie retreated upstairs to get ready for the day. She sighed as she looked at the outfits that she had packed. She hadn't planned on spending the day with Mark Sloan, plastics god, when she had packed so her outfits were all…cute and functional and not exactly what Mark was probably used to with women that he went out with. She wondered if she could potentially sneak away from him today and buy a new dress for the party.

* * *

"I was expecting you to take me to the Pike Place Market, or something downtown," Mark said, as they walked along the main street of the small town that Lexie grew up in.

"I mean, we can definitely go there too, especially since you mentioned wanting to sightsee a little bit. But if you actually want to be able to get gifts for anyone…this is much better. There are so many tourists wandering around downtown right now that we'd barely be able to move." Lexie grinned up at him and then looked around. "Besides, this is much more…Christmas-y. The decorations in Seattle are great, but seeing this street all decorated for Christmas just always makes me think of Christmas when I was growing up."

Mark smiled at her as she looked around again, her cheeks pink with excitement. "You really love this don't you?"

"What? Christmas?" Mark nodded and Lexie shrugged. "I guess so. I just have so many great memories here. We moved to Boston when I was 13, and Christmas was great there too, but this…this was always Christmas to me. I mean what's not to like? There's hot cocoa and lights and decorations and presents…all good things."

Mark chuckled and nodded in agreement. "I guess I just…had a very different type of Christmas growing up."

"Well then I'm glad that you're here celebrating Christmas with us," Lexie murmured, grinning warmly up at him. She glanced up at the store that they'd stopped in front of and her eyes widened. She tapped on Mark's chest excitedly. "Oh, before we go our separate ways to shop, we have to go in here! It's the best hot chocolate in town."

Before Mark could protest, Lexie grabbed his hand and dragged him into the café. It was rustic and cozy inside, completely unlike the coffee shops that he frequented in Manhattan. "Can I get two peppermint hot cocoas to go please?" Lexie ordered from barista and blocked Mark as he tried to pull out his card to pay for their drinks. "My treat! I didn't give you much of a choice anyway, so it's the least I can do."

They moved down to the end of the counter to wait for their drinks. Lexie was practically bouncing next to Mark and he couldn't help but laugh. She playfully glared at him. "You will see what I'm talking about. This hot cocoa is the best."

Their drinks were pushed out onto the counter, with a sizeable serving of whipped cream with little peppermint bits on top. Lexie made a soft sound of excitement as she grabbed her drink and Mark grabbed his. Lexie took a sip and closed her eyes, moaning in contentment. "Oh, it's just as good as I remember," she murmured.

Mark laughed and Lexie's eyes popped open, staring at him accusingly. "What?"

"You've got some whipped cream on your nose, Lexie," he teased, thumbing at his own nose.

Lexie laughed and grabbed a napkin, wiping at her nose. She looked at Mark for confirmation that her nose was whipped cream free and he gave her a playful thumbs-up. "Ok, c'mon, you have to try now," she said, nodding towards his drink.

Mark laughed again and took a sip, coming away with a whipped cream moustache that he licked away. "That is pretty delicious. Probably more sugar than I've had in about five years, but…delicious."

Lexie waved her hand at him as they made their way over to the other counter where the lids and sleeves were located. "Oh please. Holiday sugar doesn't count."

They made their way outside again and Lexie smiled up at him. "Ok, meet you back here in two hours? Do you think that's enough time to get your shopping done?"

Mark looked around and nodded. "Yeah, I think that'll work."

Lexie nodded. "Great. See you then! Enjoy that hot cocoa, Mark."

When they met up again in front of the café after the two hours had passed, Mark looked curiously at the garment bag that Lexie was carrying in addition to the bags she had. "Whatcha got there, Lex?"

She shrugged. "I just wasn't feeling like I packed anything that was party-worthy." Of course, that was really what she had been on the hunt for today – a new dress that would knock the socks off the man in front of her. She grinned up at him. "If we leave now, we should get to Pike Place right as they light the tree, if you're up for a little touristy activity!"

Mark grinned and nodded. "Sounds perfect."


	4. Chapter 4

They had gotten back to Meredith and Derek's just in time, arriving at the house just minutes before Derek, Meredith, and the kids got home. They all ate dinner together, making a plan for the Christmas Eve party prep. For some reason Meredith had thought it would be a great idea to do most of the cooking and baking for the party, which Lexie didn't quite understand since Meredith was not a cook. But with help from her and Mark, she was definitely feeling better about the scenario.

Once Meredith and Derek took the kids up to bed, Lexie brought down the bags of gifts that she had bought that afternoon to wrap them. She'd stationed herself in front of the fireplace and had the gifts spread out around her, along with wrapping paper, ribbons, scissors, and tape. It was organized holiday chaos, which was her favorite type of chaos.

She heard footsteps on the stairs and immediately threw herself over the gifts, before craning her neck and seeing that it was Mark. He chuckled as she straightened herself and smiled at him. "I thought you might have been Zola," she whispered as he made his way over to her. He sat down on the couch, his leg brushing against her arm as she readjusted herself on the floor.

"Yeah, I've often been told that I have the gait of a two-year-old," he teased.

Lexie rolled her eyes and shoved at him while he laughed. "I didn't want to take any chances."

"This is quite the operation you have down here," he said, gesturing to all the gifts and wrapping supplies. "I just stuck my stuff in gift bags."

Lexie laughed. "I just…I loved being able to rip into a gift on Christmas morning. And I love the act of wrapping a gift. It's so precise. It reminds me of surgery sometimes, in a weird way. So I always like to take my time. My mom loved having perfectly wrapped presents under the tree."

"Well, I don't know how much help I'd be in the wrapping department, but maybe I can interest you in some hot cocoa?" Mark asked, standing up.

Lexie beamed. "Ooooh yes, please! That sounds perfect!"

Mark busied himself in the kitchen with the cocoa as Lexie started in on her first gift. It was for Derek – she'd gotten him a new vest for when he went fishing. When Mark came back over with two mugs of cocoa in hand, she was debating about the perfect ribbon choice. "Green and gold or red and gold ribbon?" she posed her question to him as he sat on the couch again. He handed over her mug of cocoa and she grinned happily at him, taking a quick sip and sighing in contentment.

"Red and gold, definitely," Mark said firmly, and Lexie grinned up at him, nodding. "So your mom was the one who got you into Christmas?"

"Yeah. She always made sure that we had such a wonderful time at Christmas. Some of my favorite memories of my childhood are from Christmas." Her smile dimmed somewhat. "The last few years have been hard without her. I lost most of my Christmas spirit without her around. But once Zola's adoption went through, I feel like it all came back. And now with Bailey…I love Christmas again." She finished the ribbon on the gift and held it up for Mark's perusal.

He grinned and nodded, giving it his seal of approval and Lexie set it aside. She looked up at him, her head cocked in curiosity. "You said that you didn't get to do a lot of this sort of stuff growing up. What were Christmases like in your family?"

Mark shrugged, taking a sip of cocoa to stall for a moment. "Not like yours. My parents weren't really Christmas people…or family people. They'd throw these big elaborate Christmas parties and I'd make an appearance, but then I'd spend the rest of the night upstairs with my nanny. We'd open gifts on Christmas morning, but usually my mom was hungover from the night before and my dad was on a business call."

Lexie frowned. "I'm sorry, Mark."

Shrugging again, he smiled softly at her. "My favorite Christmas memories are when I got a little older and I got to spend Christmas Eve with Derek's family. They'd have their cousins over and there was always a lot of food and laughter…Mrs. Shepherd always made sure that I had a present or two to open at their house. The Shepherds always treated me like one of their own."

Smiling up at him, Lexie bumped against his leg again. "I'm glad that you're here with us this year, Mark. Definitely time to have some good Christmas memories again."

He grinned down at her. "It's shaping up to be a great Christmas, Lexie."

He leaned in slightly and Lexie shifted more fully towards him, both of them grinning at each other for a moment. The stairs creaked slightly behind them and they jumped apart, both glancing towards the stairs. But the stairs were empty, no sisters or toddlers interrupting. Lexie laughed quietly, tucking her hair behind her ear and scooting back, picking up Meredith's gift and started to wrap it.

"When did your mom pass away?" Mark asked quietly.

Lexie kept wrapping as she answered. "Right after my intern year. Complications from the hiccups. Insane," she murmured, shaking her head. "My parents were still in Boston and I was out here. Mer was a resident. My dad…had a hard time after my mom's death. So, I moved back out to Boston to help and to complete my residency at Mass Gen." She looked up at him and smiled softly. "But he's doing a lot better now. So, I think it'd be fine if I moved back here for a fellowship. He thought it'd be a good idea, actually…he's even been talking about the same thing. He and Meredith always had sort of a fraught relationship, but with the kids…I think he'd like to get to know them. And Mer seems open to it."

Mark nodded. "After today…I can see why you love Seattle. It never really won me over when I visited, but with you as a tour guide…I see what you like about it."

They stayed up for a few more hours while Lexie wrapped gifts, chatting about their lives. Finally, Lexie finished and stretched out with a triumphant groan. Mark smiled and stood up, offering his hands to her to help her up. She over-estimated her balance when she stood and ended up falling towards him, bracing her hands on his chest so she didn't completely faceplant into him. Mark chuckled, his hands going to her hips to steady her. "We've got to stop doing this, Lex," he murmured playfully.

Lexie just grinned up at him, before patting his chest gently. "I'll see you in the morning, Mark," she whispered, her eyes soft as she watched him.

His eyes darted briefly to her lips before he cleared his throat and took a small step back. His hands fell from her hips and hung loosely at his sides. "Yeah. See you in the morning, Lexie. Do you need any help cleaning up?"

She shook her head. "No. I've got it. Thank you though. Sleep tight."

"You too," he said, his voice slightly rougher than it was a second ago. He turned on his heel and headed back upstairs, as Lexie watched him go.


	5. Chapter 5

Meredith and Lexie were in the kitchen prepping some of the cookies for the Christmas Eve party, while Mark entertained Zola and Bailey in the family room. Lexie was watching him with a smile on her face as she mixed the chocolate chip cookies. Meredith smirked and bumped her sister lightly. "You're staring, Lex."

Lexie blushed and shook her head. "No, I wasn't. I was just…watching. It's sweet. You have to admit it's pretty cute to watch him with the kids."

Meredith laughed. "It is." She looked over to Mark. "He's changed a lot in the time that I've known him. He used to be quite the uh…manwhore," she whispered. "But in the last few years, he's really settled down. Derek says he thinks that Mark is ready for something more, but just hasn't found the right person."

Lexie nodded. "So is he…single right now? Do you know?"

"Subtle, Lex," Meredith teased. "Yeah, as far as I know, he's single. With the way he's been looking at you, he better be single."

Lexie just laughed and shook her head before glancing over at him again. Just then, he looked up and grinned at her. She smiled back, before turning her attention back to the cookies.

Meredith's phone buzzed and she quickly rinsed and dried her hands to unlock it. "Damn it," Meredith cursed under her breath as she read her message.

Lexie's brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

"Derek just texted. He got pulled into an emergency surgery. He was supposed to come home to distract the kids so I could clean without them under foot." Meredith leaned back against the counter, sighing again, before narrowing her eyes as she looked at Lexie. "What would you say to you and Mark taking the kids out? There's a Christmas carnival going on today."

"But I could help you clean! Mark seems to be distracting enough!"

Meredith shook her head, a smirk slowly spreading across her face. "No, it'd be easier to get them out of the house, at least for a little bit." She leaned in towards Lexie. "I'm sure that you and Mark can find plenty of…distractions yourself."

Lexie's brow furrowed. "I don't understand if you're trying to encourage bad behavior or get me to take your kids for the afternoon."

Her sister shrugged. "I can do both." Lexie laughed and shook her head. "C'mon, what do you think? Christmas Carnival with the kids and Mark?"

Rolling her eyes, Lexie nodded and Meredith grinned. "Hey ZoZo! Want to go to a Christmas carnival with Aunt Lex-Lex and Uncle Mark? You and Bailey could go while Mommy cleans up!"

"Yeah! Carnival! Carnival!" Zola chanted and Mark just laughed as she started jumping up and down.

"Guess we're going to the Christmas Carnival," Lexie said, smiling over at Mark.

* * *

"What else do you think our snowman needs, Zola?" Lexie asked her niece, perched on her lap. They were at a snowman craft station, making the perfect cotton-ball snowman. Mark was sitting across from them, absently moving the stroller back and forth as Bailey slept through the excitement of the Christmas carnival.

"Hat!"

"You think he needs a hat? I agree. What color should his hat be?" Lexie reached across the table for some markers as Zola's little hand held onto the little paper hat. "He could have a black hat, or a green hat, or a red hat."

"Green! Green hat!" Zola determined, reaching for the green marker that Lexie held. She laughed and uncapped the marker, handing it over to her niece, who started to color with a vengeance.

"You're good with her," Mark murmured. Lexie looked up and smiled.

"She's a good kid. You're pretty good with them too. You were fun to watch this morning. Zola was basically using you like a jungle gym, and you didn't seem to mind."

Mark just laughed and shrugged. "One of my many, many charms."

"Lexie Grey, is that you?"

Lexie looked up at the familiar voice and smiled widely. "Mrs. Stevenson! It's so nice to see you!"

An older woman came up to them, smiling widely as she looked at Lexie, then took in the little family she seemed to be sitting with. "Isn't she just adorable! What's her name?"

"Zola," Lexie said, as her niece continued to scribble. She gently squeezed her and gestured up to Mrs. Stevenson. "ZoZo, can you say hi?"

"Hi," she whispered shyly, looking up at the stranger for a moment before focusing on her coloring once again.

"Oh, she's just precious. What a lovely little family you have, Lexie. Mary-Anne didn't tell me that you had kids or a husband!" She looked over at Mark and smiled.

Lexie laughed. "Oh Mrs. Stevenson, I'm not…this is my niece, and the baby in the stroller is my nephew. And this is my…my friend, Mark. I'm still single – Mary-Anne didn't forget to share any big news with you!" She looked over at Mark, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "Mark, this is Mrs. Stevenson. Her daughter Mary-Anne was my best friend growing up. She happened to be living back with her parents while I was here for my intern year, so we reconnected."

Mark grinned and extended his hand to Mrs. Stevenson. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, you too! Sorry for the mix-up, Lexie. I didn't mean anything by it. You all just looked like such a happy family…it was easy to assume! I better run – Larry and I are catching a flight out to L.A. in a few hours to visit with Mary-Anne for the holidays. I'll tell her you said hello!"

Lexie grinned at the older woman and nodded. "Yes! Please do! We've been texting on and off, but we're long overdue for a catch-up. Hope you have a safe trip and a very merry Christmas, Mrs. Stevenson!"

"Oh, you too, Lexie dear!"

Lexie looked over to Mark once Mrs. Stevenson was out of sight and she laughed. "Sorry about that. She was always a bit of a busy-body."

Mark shrugged. "There are worse things than strangers thinking that I'm your husband, Lexie."

Lexie grinned. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Scarf!" Zola cried out, reaching across the table for the red marker to color the scarf on her snowman. Lexie chuckled and reached for the red marker, handing it over to Zola. When she glanced back up at Mark, he was still smiling warmly at her. She couldn't help but smile back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little bit of holiday sweetness before the big Christmas Eve party and...maybe a little bit of drama. :P This is a cheesy holiday romance, after all - there's got to be some conflict.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the Christmas Eve party! But there's drama afoot...will it all be resolved by Christmas day?

Lexie sighed as she smoothed out her dress one more time. She'd thought that the red satin dress was perfect when she tried it on in the store, but now she was wondering if it was a little too much. Was the v-neck too deep? She didn't want to look desperate. She had already done her hair and makeup for the party, and this dress was the final touch. She heard a knock on the door as she continued to examine herself in the mirror. "Lex, it's me. You ready? Alex and Cristina are already here."

Lexie opened up the door and wrung her hands, looking down at her dress. "Is it too much? I'm afraid I'm showing too much skin. I mean it is the middle of winter…"

Meredith laughed and shook her head. "Lexie, you look beautiful. You're going to knock Mark's socks off. And I am positive that when it comes to Mark Sloan, there's no such thing as too revealing of a neckline. He'll love it. Now c'mon, get downstairs!" Lexie nodded and ran back to her suitcase, pulling out her gold heels that she had packed for the party and luckily still went with her dress. She'd left her hair down in dark cascading waves and she nervously tucked her hair behind her ears before slipping on her shoes and taking one last look in the mirror.

Mark was standing with Alex, and as Lexie came down the stairs, both men turned to look at her. "Whoa, Lexiepedia, all dressed up!" Alex cried out, moving forward to catch Lexie in a tight hug as she stepped off the stairs. "Looking good, Lexiepedia," he teased with a wink.

Lexie laughed and shook her head, playfully pushing at his shoulder. "Thanks, Alex. Where's Jo?"

"She's at the hospital for a few more hours. She said she'll swing by if she can." Just then Zola came running full force at Alex, wrapping herself around his legs. Alex chuckled and bent down, swinging Zola up into his arms. "She wouldn't want to miss saying hi to her best girl Zola on Christmas Eve."

Lexie grinned and kissed Zola's cheek before moving over to Mark. "Hey!"

"Hey! You look incredible, Lex," he murmured, his voice deeper than it normally was. He leaned in and brushed a kiss to her cheek.

She was sure her cheeks must have matched the color of her dress as he pulled back. "Yeah? You don't think the red is…too much?" she questioned, self-consciously brushing her hands over her skirt again.

Mark shook his head and grinned softly at her. "No, Lex. You look…perfect."

She smiled softly up at him. She opened her mouth to say something, but just then Derek walked up to them, handing them both beers.

* * *

About two hours later, the party was in full swing. Lexie had seen Jackson walk in but had managed to avoid him so far. She'd kept close to Mark all night, spending as much time with him as possible, knowing that they were both going back home the day after Christmas.

But he'd gone off to get more drinks and cookies and Lexie had wandered, saying hi to some of the other guests that she hadn't seen in a while. She was chatting with Callie and Arizona and their adorable baby Sofia for a little bit, before they had to go and change Sofia's diaper. She found herself alone momentarily and of course, that's when she heard his voice.

"The red really suits you, Lexie."

She shut her eyes tightly and took a deep breath before turning around to face her ex. "Thanks, Jackson," she said, smiling, even if it was a little tighter than most of her smiles had been that night. "It's good to see you. It's been awhile."

"Yeah, it has. How's Boston?"

"Boston's…great! It's been great."

"I heard Meredith mention that you've been thinking about moving back once you pass your boards."

Lexie shrugged. "Yeah. I mean…if there's a place for me. I'd love to learn under Derek. I mean…he's the best, you know? What about you, you're doing plastics, right?"

"Yeah! Yeah, I am. I was talking with Mark Sloan for a while earlier. I mean…wow. I had no idea that Derek was friends with him!" Jackson said, leaning a little closer.

Lexie laughed and nodded. "I know! We actually were on the same flight out. I got to pick his brain about all sorts of things. And he's been staying here at the house too, so I've gotten to know him pretty well." Lexie grinned. "He's really amazing."

Jackson's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't question her further on her assessment of Mark Sloan.

Suddenly they heard Callie shout out, "Hey! You guys are under the mistletoe!" She gestured to the two of them and then pointed up, her eyes sparkling with holiday cheer (and maybe a few drinks). "It's tradition! C'mon!" she taunted, before Arizona smacked her arm and shook her head at her wife.

Lexie laughed and looked up. Sure enough, there was mistletoe hanging right above their heads, in the doorway of the dining room. She looked back down, meeting Jackson's eyes.

"I mean, it is tradition, Lex. And it's not like we haven't kissed before," he said, holding out his hands in a conciliatory manner.

She smiled softly and nodded. Jackson leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers. Lexie expected to feel…something, kissing her ex-boyfriend. They'd been pretty serious for about six months and she still cared for him, but when he kissed her there was just…nothing. He made a move to deepen the kiss, but Lexie pressed her hand to his chest and pulled back. "Jackson…" She shook her head.

He stepped back. "Sorry. Old habits. I've uh…I've missed you, Lex."

She smiled softly at him. "I've missed you too, Jackson, but…I've moved on. And I don't want you to think that if you just hold on until I move back, that we could be something again." She pressed her palm against his heart. "You're a really great guy, Jackson. You're just not the guy for me. Not anymore."

He sighed and nodded, putting his hand over hers and squeezing gently, before taking another step back so that her hand fell away. "I get it, Lex. Thank you for being honest with me." He grinned awkwardly at her, backing away slowly. "It was really good to see you again."

Lexie grinned and nodded, before turning and heading back towards the kitchen where she had last seen Mark.

The last time she had seen him, he'd been chatting with Owen and Derek, but now he was standing off to the side by himself, holding a plate of cookies in one hand and his scotch in another. He had a bit of a thousand-yard stare, but Lexie assumed he was just spaced out. "Hey! Did you get me another chocolate chip cookie like I asked?" she asked playfully.

He looked up at her and Lexie was taken aback when she saw the hardness in his eyes. "You didn't just ask Jackson to get you a cookie?"

Lexie's eyes narrowed. "No. Why would I ask Jackson to get me a cookie if I already asked you?"

Mark scoffed and shoved the plate of cookies at her. "Here, Lexie." He shook his head and turned on his heel. "I need some air."

"Mark, wait!" she called after him, ditching the plate of cookies on the kitchen counter and following him outside onto the deck. "Mark, what's wrong?" she asked as she closed the sliding door behind her. The noise of the party faded away and they were left in the quiet of the woods.

"I saw you with Jackson, Lexie."

"What do you mean? We were just talking!"

Mark shook his head and laughed. "Yeah, that's what I used to say when someone caught me kissing someone too."

"Mark, that isn't what you thought-"

He shook his head again and held out his hand to stop her. "I was talking to Owen for the past ten minutes about a potential job in Seattle. Because I thought it'd be nice to be close to Derek and Meredith and the kids and…you, eventually. And then I come to find you to tell you and I see you kissing your ex!"

"Mark, really, it's not-"

Mark sighed and brushed past her and opened the sliding glass door. "I don't want to talk about it, Lexie. I can't believe I was so stupid. Why should I give up what I have in Manhattan? For the rain? For this crappy city? To work in a teaching hospital? I hate interns! I don't know what I was thinking." With that, he went back inside, shutting the door behind him and leaving Lexie out in the cold.

A few minutes later, Meredith came outside, rubbing her arms. "Lex, what are you doing standing out here in the cold? It's freezing!" As she came closer, her eyes narrowed and she wrapped her arms around Lexie in a big hug once she got close enough. "Lexie, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Mark! He saw me…he saw me kissing Jackson. But it was just mistletoe and it didn't mean anything! I told Jackson that I was over him and I had moved on. But Mark just saw the kiss and he was so mad, Mer. He said he had been talking to Owen about a job and…I've messed it all up!"

Lexie stepped back from her sister's hug and wiped at the tears that had fallen. "He didn't want to listen to me, Meredith. And I…I really like him. And now it's all messed up before we even really had a chance to start."

Meredith rubbed at her sister's arms. "We'll figure it out, Lexie. If he doesn't listen to you, he's not worth your time." Lexie gave her sister a watery smile. "But if you don't get inside right now, you're going to be hypothermic before the two of you have a chance to straighten things out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What would a cheesy holiday romance be without a little bit of drama that could have easily been resolved with a little communication? I promise that I'll make it all better on Saturday with the last chapter! If you celebrate, hope you have a very merry Christmas. This holiday season has been tough and I hope that I've been able to maybe bring a little bit of joy!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas Day - will our lovebirds kiss and make up?

Zola woke everyone up early the next morning, eager to go downstairs and unwrap the gifts under the tree. While everyone seemed in good spirits as they watched Zola tear through the packages, there was a lingering tension between Mark and Lexie that hadn't been present in the days prior.

Lexie smiled as she opened her gift from him – it was an ornament from the café that she'd dragged him into for hot cocoa. It was a perfect porcelain representation of the cocoa that they had indulged in together. She looked up to thank him and saw him staring at her gift, his thumb running over the framed picture. She'd snuck away and printed a picture of them and Zola and Bailey at the Christmas carnival. He met her eyes and gave her a soft, but pinched smile, before turning his attention back to Zola, who was still excitedly unwrapping gifts.

Once everyone had opened their gifts, Mark offered to start on breakfast for everyone and Derek had offered his help as well. As Derek stood up, Meredith grabbed him and murmured, "Will you please imbue Mark with some holiday spirit and let Lexie explain herself?"

"Yeah, what's up with them?"

Meredith shook her head. "There was a misunderstanding at the party. Long story. Just tell your best friend to get his head out of his ass, please."

Breakfast was a subdued affair between the adults, but luckily Zola didn't seem to notice at all. She tugged on Meredith and Derek's hands after they were all done eating, insisting that they come and play with her and her new toys. Derek, Meredith, Bailey, and Zola all went into the family room, leaving Lexie and Mark to clean up in the kitchen.

Lexie allowed for a few minutes of silence between the two of them before she sighed and leaned back against the counter next to the sink, where she had been drying as Mark washed. "Are we going to talk about this, Mark?"

"Didn't think there was anything to talk about, Lexie. Figured you'd want to get this done with quickly so you could spend the rest of the day with Jackson," Mark said tersely, staying focused on washing the dishes.

Lexie shook her head and reached across Mark, turning off the tap. "I'm not spending the rest of the day with Jackson. I want to spend the rest of the day with you. You saw me kiss Jackson last night, but clearly you didn't stick around to see me push him away and tell him that I've moved on. Tell him that he's a great guy, but he's just not the guy for me anymore."

That finally got Mark to look up at her. "Really?"

"Yes, really! And if you had given me a chance to explain last night, we could have avoided this whole thing." She sighed, cautiously stepping closer to him. He'd dried off his hands and he'd turned, his hip resting against the counter now, so he was facing her. "Jackson isn't who I wanted to be kissing under the mistletoe last night."

Mark's cocky, familiar grin started to appear. "Who did you want to be kissing under the mistletoe, Lexie Grey?"

She smirked and shook her head, taking another step forward. She poked him in the chest. "You, Mark Sloan. But you seemed to want to yell at me instead."

He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Lexie. I jumped to conclusions and I didn't let you explain yourself. I was just so excited to tell you what I'd been talking about with Owen and then I saw you kissing him…my heart just sank."

"Your heart?" Lexie asked, her eyes shining with hope.

Mark's hands reached out and settled on Lexie's hips, drawing her closer. "Yeah. My heart. It has a pretty vested interest in being in Seattle in about 6 months. Once a certain surgeon passes her boards and signs on for a fellowship here."

"Hmm, well my heart is pretty excited at the notion of getting to work with a new head of plastic surgery here in Seattle in about six months." Her fingers curled in Mark's shirt, as she tilted her head up at him. "And Boston isn't so far away from New York in the meantime," she murmured.

"No, it's not," he replied, finally lowering his head to brush his lips against hers.

Unlike last night, the second that Mark's lips met hers, Lexie felt her heart skip a beat. Even though the kiss was fairly chaste, she could tell that he was a good kisser, but it was more than that. This kiss…it felt like coming home. It just felt right. Lexie grinned against his lips and lifted her arms, resting her elbows on his shoulders and wrapping her arms around his neck to urge him closer to her.

When they broke apart, Mark was smiling down at her. "You've definitely converted me. On Christmas and on Seattle. I get it now."

Lexie grinned and leaned in for another kiss. "I knew that you'd come around."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couldn't leave you hanging for too long! Hope that you enjoyed this cheesy holiday romance. :) Have a more adult New Year's Eve celebration planned for Mark and Lexie - let me know if you'd be interested in reading it!


End file.
